Machine for shaping the ends of coiled wire springs



y 12, 1933- I o. w. SODERSTROM Y 2,123,752

MACHINE FOR SHAPING THE ENDS OF COILED WIRE SPRINGS Filed June 13, 19366 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Ll Q5041? W 500m mo/n A1TORNEY July 12, 1938.o. w. SODERSTROM MACHINE FOR SHAPING THE ENDS OF COILED WIRE SPRINGSFiled June 13, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR 0.9m W 500m mom. 16%ATTORNEY July 12, 1938. o. w. SODERSTROM MACHINE FOR SHAPING THE ENDS OFCDILED WIRE SPRINGS Filed June 15, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR OscARWJooms mo/w.

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ATTORNEY July 12, 1938. o. w. SODERSTROM MACHINE FOR SHAPING THE ENDS OFCOILED WIRE SPRINGS Filed June 15, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INV ENTOR0501/? W5o0msmom 25% ATTORNEY July 12, 1938. o. w. SODERSTROM MACHINEFOR SHAPING THE ENDS OF GOILED WIRE SPRINGS Filed June 13, 1936 6Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR 05cm WSJUf/TS mom. J 52.41%,

ATTORNEY y 1938- 0. w. SODERSTROM 2,123,752

MACHINE FOR SHAPING THE ENDS 0F COILED WIRE SPRINGS Filed June 13, 1.9366 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR 0501/? W Smmsmom.

' TTORNEY Patented July 12, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FORSHAPING THE ENDS OF COILED WIRE SPRINGS Application June 13, 1936,Serial No. 85,029

11 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for shaping the ends of coiled wiresprings and more specifically for forming loops at the spring ends.

The prevailing commercial practice prior to this invention, particularlywith regard to springs of fine wire gauge and small diameter, hasinvolved laborious hand operations, usually carried out by womenoperators who work with a small knife and bend the spring ends on anvilsby various manipulations of the knife. The operation has been slow,requiring a fair amount of skill, and is extremely hard work.

It is an aim of the present invention to accomplish practically all ofthe operations of looping the end of a spring by a power driven machineleaving as the only manual operations the introduction of the wire coilto the machine and the tripping of a clutch to set the power cycle inoperation.

The inventionhas as one of its objects to provide a simple, compact andcomparatively inexpensive machine for rapidly and easily looping orotherwise shaping the end of a spring.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine capable of easyand accurate adjustments to adapt the machine for operation on springsof varying diameters and different gauges of wire.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed outparticularly hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings wherein is shown one of various possibleembodiments of the invention:-

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a machine embodying theinvention,

Figure 2 is a view in left side elevation of the machine shown in Figure1,

Figure 3 is a view in top plan,

Figure 4. is a view in rear elevation,

Figure 5 is a view of the trip lever and clutch release mechanism,

Figure 6 is a view of the clutch mechanism showing its connection to themain cam shaft,

Figure 7 is a view of the operating devices for 15 withdrawing thelocating stop after the spring blank has been clamped in properposition,

Figure 81s a view in side elevation of the mechanism shown in part inFigure '7,

Figure 9 is a view in perspective of the locating i0 stop against whichthe spring blank is positioned,

Figure 10 is a view of the clamping mechanism for the spring blank,

Figure 11 is a view of the actuating means for the blade or spreaderwhich enters between ad- ;5 jacent helices at the end of the spring,

Figure 12 is a view of the actuating means for an upper anvil,

Figure 13 is a view of the actuating means for the lower anvil,

Figure 14 is a view in elevation of a coil as it 5 appears whenintroduced, and

Figure 15 is a view in elevation of a coil with end loop produced by themachine.

In the preferred form of the invention shown in the accompanyingdrawings, a base plate 20 10 has a small electric motor 2| thereon withits armature shaft coupled to a short shaft 2?. extending from a housingI5 also mounted on the base plate. The housing contains a reductiongearing and on one side it journals a sleeve 23 5 provided with a clutchelement 24 adapted for continuous drive when the electric motor isenergized. A main cam shaft 25 has one end journalled in the oppositeside of the gear reduction housing. 20

Toward the front center of the machine a housing 26 is constructed, themain element of which is an upright 21 having a forwardly extending web28 vertically grooved as indicated at 29 for the slide mounting of upperand lower anvils or 25 plungers 30 and 3| respectively. The upright 21also carries a slide support 32 fixed to it as indicated at 33, and theslide support is provided with a horizontal groove or slideway 34 withinwhich a slide block 35 carrying an adjustable 30 cylindrical stop 36 islocated.

The slideways for the upper and lower anvils are closed by suitableplates 40 and 4| respectively, and plates 42 and 43 are secured tooverlap the slideway 34. and serve to hold the stop block 35 35 inposition yet allow easy sliding movement thereof in a horizontaldirection.

On the upper end of the upright 21 a lever bracket 44 is mounted for thepivotal support of two levers the purpose and construction of which 40will be described hereinafter. A cam shaft bearing bracket 45 is securedto the base at the rear right corner and the cam shaft 25, having oneend mounted in housing I 5, has its other end journalled in the bracket.45

A bracket is fixed to the base and rises to pivotally support a rockshaft 5| which carries a part of the trip mechanism for setting themachine in operation and stopping the same at the end of its cycle. Oneother bracket indicated at 50 52 is secured to the base and rises tojournal one end of a rock shaft 53 the other end of which is carried ina depending arm 54 integral with the slide support 32 in which the stopblock 35 is slidably mounted. as

The parts so far described constitute essentially the frame and housingof the machine and the main power drive. The various devices formanipulating the lengths of coiled wire will now be described in detail.

At the front of the machine, in the web 20 o upright 21 a circular bore60 is provided, having a shoulder 6i, and this bore is adapted toreceive and have secured therein a chuck 62 comprising as one. element abushing 68 which is replaceable by other bushings of similar externalshape and diameter to fit the bore but varying in internal diameter totake different sizes of coils. Through this bushing a radial slot 64 isprovided to permit sliding movement of the clamp end 66 of a clamp rod66 slidably mounted in web 28 and normally pressed inwardly by a spring61 bearing against a flange 68 on the clamp rod and reacting against theend wall of a bore 60 in a cup I0 attached to the upright. The clampingrod is held initially retracted by a cam TI having a high portion 12which operates a bell crank lever 18, the upper arm of which has aforked end I4 engaging a pin I6 in a yoke 16 threaded on to the end ofthe clamping rod.

When the machine is not cycling the forward end of the stop 36 restsadjacent the rear open end of the bushing 68 to limit the introductorymovement of the coil of spring wire to the machine. This end of .thestop is helical and is provided with a radial shoulder BI and theoperator in introducing the coil twists it slightly until the end of thehelical coil abuts the radial shoulder. The machine is then ready forcycling which is initiated by pressing a button 82 on the forward end oftrip lever 88 which is pivoted on the bracket 60 at 84 and carries apivoted pawl 86 normally held by a spring 86 in position to engage thenotched end 01 of a release pawl 88 fixed on the rock shaft 6|Journalled in bracket 60. A clutch release element 00 is also secured onthe rock shaft 5| and prior to the depression of the trip lever its freeend 8| rests in position to oppose rotation of the cam shaft and hold ashiftable clutch element 82 out of engagement with the continuouslyrotating clutch 24. when the trip lever is depressed against the actionof a spring 08 and guided in a slotted post 84 secured to the base, pawl06 depresses the release pawl 88 rocking shaft 6I and lifting the clutchrelease member 90, whereupon a spring 96 (Figures 3 and 4) operates toengage the clutch. This spring is located in a bore 86 formed in anelevated part 81 of the base 20. A yoke carrying plunger 98 passesthrough this elevated portion of the baseand is provided at its outerend with an enlarged head 00 to fit the bore 86. The spring bearsagainst the head 89 and reacts against the end of the bore constantlyurging the plunger outwardly or in a direction to engage the clutch. Theyoke member is shown at I00 as fitted against a shoulder on the plungerand held thereon by a nut IOI threaded onto the end of the plunger. Theupper yoked end of member I00 is positioned in a yoke groove I02 of theshiftable clutch element 82. This groove is between the toothed portionI08 of the clutch and a disc portion I04 which is suitably shouldered atI05 to fit into a corner I06 near the end of the clutch release element.The latter is caused to escape this shoulder when the trip lever isactuated and, when the shiftable clutch element 92 has shifted on thecam shaft as permitted by a key engagement indicated at I01 the clutchis engaged and the cam shaft commences to rotate.

The shoulder on the disc I04 then passes beyond the corner I06 of theclutch release and there- 'after the clutch release element rides on theperiphery of the disc. Toward the end of the downward movement of thetrip lever the pawl 86 is disengaged from the release pawl 00 because ofthe engagement of a lower cam-faced end IIO of the pawl with asemi-spherical head III on a post II2 fixed to the base. Whether or notthe trip lever is returned to its initial position, the machine makesbut one cycle and is automatically stopped. This is due to the ridingengagement of the clutch release element on the disc I04 and toan'oblique face H8 at the end of the clutch release element. As the camshaft comes toward completion of a single rotation, the shoulder I06 onthe disc engages this oblique face and continued rotation of the' camshaft forces the shiftable clutch element out of engagement. Momentumcarries this clutch element sufficiently in a rotative direction tolocate the shoulder I06 in the corner I06 of the clutch release andthereby the cam shaft is held against further rotative movement and theclutch element is prevented from returning in an axial direction underthe action of spring 06 until there is a subsequent downward movement ofthe trip lever.

A length of coiled wire having been introduced to the chuck 62 androtated slightly until its end E abuts the radial shoulder of the stop80, the trip lever is depressed, the clutch engages, and the cam shaftcommences its rotation. As shown in Figure 10, the high portion of camII immediately rides away from the end of bell crank lever I8 and spring61' becomes effective to press the V- shaped end 66 of the clamp rodagainst the coil and urge the same against the opposite wall of thechuck. The coil is thus held with sufilcient pressure against rotativeor axial movements.

Shortly following the clamping operation, a spreader I20 is caused todescend slightly and its pointed end I2I passes between adjacent helicesat the end of the coil. The spreader is actuated by a cam I22 (shown inFigure 11 of the drawings) fixed on the main cam shaft 26 and operatingbetween upper and lower cam rollers I28 and I24, both of which areloosely mounted by studs I26 ona bar I26 which has its upper end I21offset and through which offset end a rod I28 passes downwardly througha web I20 welded, riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the bar aboutmidway of its length. A collar I80 is secured to the rod between theoffset end of the bar and the web and a coiled compression spring I8Ibears against the lower face of the collar and reacts against the web.The upper end of the rod is formed with an eye I82 and is secured by astud I88 to a lever I84 fulcrumed on a short shaft I86 carried in thelever bracket 44. The forward end of the lever is fitted into a yokedupper end I40 of the spreader bar I20 located in the slideway 28 of thehousing. Secured to the lower end of this bar and projecting downwardlyis the pointed end spreader or blade previously referred to. It will benoted that the transmission to the spreader, in accordance with thestructure described, is through the spring- I8I which is comparativelyheavy and not intended to function particularly in the downward movementof the spreader but does function as the spreader retreats, in a mannerwhich hereinafter will be described. 1

Simultaneously with the commencement of the sired, shortly before thismovement starts, the stop member 36 is caused to retreat by effecting amovement of the slide block 36- to which this stop member is secured.The mechanism for effecting this movement is shown in Figures 1, 7 and8. It comprises a cam I45 fixed on the cam shaft having a lobe I46initially holding the stop in its advanced position. When the cam shaftrotates, the lobe passes beyond a cam roller I41 on an arm I fixed onrock shaft 53 and a torsion spring 9 rocks the arm and the shaft to rockanother arm I50 at the opposite end of the rock shaft. This moves theslide block 36 through connections comprising a pin I5! fixed in theslide block and extending into a short radial slot I62 in the upper endof the arm I50. The housing member which provides the slideway for thestop is also slotted at I53 to permit this movement of the pin.

It will be obvious that different positions of rotative adjustment ofthe stop member allow for different rotative positioning of the end ofthe coil of wire so that the actual length of wire separated from theremainder of.the coil may be varied to suit. Ordinarily the stop ispositioned rotatively to provide for separating a length of wirecorresponding to about one and one half turns. Such an amount providesfor the formation of a closed loop at the end of the spring as thevarious other operations are carried out. If it is desired to form an.open loop the stated adjustment may be made to provide for this.Furthermore, it should be noted that by reason of the possibility oflongitudinal or axial adjustment of the stop rod, coil springs ofvarying gauges of wire may be accommodated. Thus, it will be seen thatby varying the bushing sizes and making the possible adjustments of thestop, both rotatively and axially, a range of different coils may beoperated upon in this machine.

The spreader is advanced by its cam until the spread end of the coil isin an oblique position with its upper part directly under and in thepath of the upper anvil 36. This anvil is now caused to descend slightlyin retardof the spreader by a cam I 60 (shown in Figure 12) fixed to thecam shaft and operating between upper and lower rollers IN and I62respectively, pivoted by studs I63 to a bar I64. This bar and itsconnections correspond in shape and construction to the bar andconnections employed in transmitting movement to the spreader. Acompression spring I65 is employed, provided for the possibility ofyield of the upper an il when desired. The transmission of movement isthrough a lever I66 supported on shaft I at the top of the machine andhaving its opposite end fitted in the yoked upper end I61 of the upperanvil.

The upper anvil descends, bending over the spread end of the coil, andin. doing so the anvil movement is accelerated somewhat relative to thespreader movement so that at the lower extreme of the movement of bothspreader and upper anvil the lower ends of each are practically on alevel. It has been found desirable to slightly concave the lower anvilend of the anvil plunger, as indicated at i111 in Figure 1. Thisprevents jamming of the spread coil and facililates its bending to asubstantially horizontal position in a plane with the lower side of thecoiled wire blank.

According to the present described embodiment of the invention, thelower anvil III is now caused to rise in the slideway 29 under theaction of a cam "I (see Figure 13). This cam, fixed to the main camshaft 26, operates a lever I13 fulcrumed on a shaft I14 which alsofulcrums the clamp-operating lever. 'The end of the lever cooperativewith the cam has a bolt I16 threaded therein to provide an adjustmenttoward and from the cam and the bolt is securabie in adiusted positionby a lock nut I16. The opposite end of the lever is positioned betweenupper and lower pins I11 and I13 projecting from the lower anvil. Aspring I19 has its lower end connected to a pin I80 on the housing andits upper end connected to the lever' to urge the lower anvil downwardlyagainst an adjustable stop I8I threaded into the base plate.

Continuing the cycle of operation, the cam I1I acts upon the lever I13to move the lower anvil upwardly during which movement the end loop ofthe wire coil is held between the combined face presented by the upperanvil and spreader point on the one side, and the lower anvil on theother side. Continued upward movement of the lower anvil forces thelooped end of the spring upwardly during which time the upper anvil andspreader are caused to retreat by the advancing lower anvil and againstthe opposition of the compression springs I3I and I65 of the respectiveconnections. This upward movement is continued as the main body ofthecoil is held fast in the chuck and until the looped spring end Lassumes a position substantially coincident the median plane of thecoiled body, and at this point the spreader and upper anvil are againpicked up by their respective cams and caused to retreat to theirinitial positions. At the same time the lower anvil retreats downwardlyto the stop owing to the controlling lever I13 passing-beyond the highpoint of its cam, allowing the spring I19 to become effective. As soonas the anvils have sufficiently separated, the lobe I 46 of cam I45 actson the roller carried by arm I48 and urges it in opposition to thetorsion spring I49, rocking the shaft 53 and causing the slide of thestop 36 to be advanced to present the stop for the next operation.Substantially simultaneously with this movement the clamp plunger iswithdrawn by the high part of cam 'II acting upon the lever 13 and thestop 36 in its forward movement ejects the end-looped spring.Immediately following this the shiftable clutch element 92 isautomatically disengaged as previously herein described, and the machineis ready for operation upon the opposite end or upon another coil.

In ,making the various adjustments permitted by the mechanism toaccommodate coils of different sizes and gauges of wire it is desirableto maintain the parts of the clutch in position of disengagement. Toturn the cam shaft over by hand a wheel I90 is provided and when theclutch parts are separated this wheel may be used to move the cam shaftrotatively and operate the various actuating mechanisms which could notbe operated if the clutch were engaged owing to the reducing gearingcomprising a worm and worm wheel in the housing I 5. To temporarilysecure the clutch in a position of disengagement a screw I 9i is tappedinto the platform 91 of the base and this screw may be turned totemporarily hold the yoke carrying plunger 98 against the action ofspring 95 by engaging the point of the screw with the headed end 99 ofthe plunger.

Although the stop 36 is adapted to function with a small range ofvarying diameters of coils, it is within the intent of the presentinvention to use stop plungers of larger or smaller diameter as may berequired by the size of the coil to be.

ment driventhereby, a cooperative clutch ele a ment initiallydisconnected with the first said clutch element, actuating means forspring-end shaping means, means comprising a trip for causing engagementof said clutch elements upon actuation ofthe trip, spring-end shapingmeans comprising anvils, and means for automatically disengaging theclutch elements after the spring" end has been shaped by the anvils.

2. A machine for shaping coiled spring ends, comprising an electricmotor and a clutch element driven thereby, a cooperative clutch-elementinitially disconnected with the first said clutch element, actuatingmeans for spring-end shaping means, a stop for limiting the introductionof a spring and for determining its proper position rotatively, meanscomprising a trip for causing engagement of said clutch elements uponactuation of the trip, spring-end shaping means comprising anvils, andmeans. for automatically disengaging the clutch elements after thespring end has been shaped by the anvils.

3. A machine for shaping coiled spring ends, comprising an electricmotor and a clutch element driven thereby, a cooperative clutch elementinitially disconnected with the first said clutch element, actuatingmeans for spring-end shaping means, a stop for limiting the introductionof a spring and for determining its proper position rotatively, saidstop being adjustable longitudinally and rotatively to adapt the machinefor operation on varying end lengths of springs and varying gauges ofwire, means comprising a trip for causing engagement of said clutchelements upon actuation of the trip, spring-end shaping means comprisinganvils, and means for automatically disengaging the clutch elementsafter the spring end has been'shaped by the anvils.

4. A machine for forming a looped end on awire coil, comprising a base,a motor mounted thereon, a clutch element driven by the motor, acooperative clutch element initially disengaged from the first saidclutch element, a housing on said base having a chuck for receiving andholding a wire coil, a stop for determining the position of the wirecoil in said housing, a blade adapted to enter between adjacent helicesat the end of said coil and spread the end of the coil means for causingits movement into position of engagement when released.

5. A machine for shaping coiled spring ends, comprising motor means, aclutch, a chuck, and means for spreading an end helix from a coil heldin said chuck and setting it lengthwise of the coil, the last said meansincluding the said motor means, clutch engaging means, clutchdisengaging means, a blade adapted to pass between adjacent helices atthe end of the coil and opposed anvils movable with the spread end ofthe 'coil heldbetwcen them.

6. A machine for shaping coiled spring ends, comprising means forspreading an end helix from a coil and adjustable means having provisionfor locating the coil in a predetermined position rotatively andlongitudinally, said means comprising a stop having a substantiallyhelical end face and a shoulder projecting from said face to provide anabutment for a coil end.

7. A machine for shaping coiled spring ends, comprising an electricmotor, a receiving bushing, an operating lever for connecting the motorin the machine, and shaping means actuated by the motor to set an endhelix of the coil lengthwise thereof, said means including an anvilwhich in its actuation moves the endihelix through an angle ofsubstantially another anvil which subsequently moves the end helix to aplane substantially coincident with -the axis of the coil, and springmeans opposing the last said movement.

8. A machine for shaping coiled spring ends comprising a stop serving tolimit introductory movement of the spring, a clamp for the spring, motormeans, means actuated by said motor means adapted to spread an end helixof the spring from the body thereof and shape it in the form of a loopsubstantially parallel with the axis of the spring, means causing saidstop to retract after the spring has been clamped, and means foradvancing said stop to eject the spring when it is unclamped.

9. A machine for shaping c'oiled spring ends, comprising means forholding a coil, yielding means for turning an end of the coil away fromthe coil body, an opposed anvil, and means for advancing the opposedanvil against the opposition of said yielding means after the end of thecoil has been turned.

10. A machine for shaping coiled spring ends, comprising means forholding a coil with -its end exposed to a spreader, a spreader adaptedto enter between adjacent helices at the coil end, an anvil, means toadvance the anvil to turn the spread end of the coil, a second anvilagainst which the end of the coil is forced in turning, and meansadapted to cause the second anvil to advance in a direction opposed tothe first said anvil as the latter retreats, with the turned end heldbetween the two anvils.

11. A machine for shaping coiled spring ends, comprising a stop servingto limit introductory movement of the spring, a clamp for the spring,motor means, means actuated by said motor means adapted to spread an endhelix of the spring from the body thereof and shape it in the form of aloop substantially parallel with the axis of the spring, and meanscausing said stop to retract after the spring has been clamped to allowthe spreading and shaping means to move in the path formerly occupied bythe stop.

OSCAR W. SODERBTRDM.

